Centre to build 5,000 houses for IDPs in Manipur

Union agriculture and rural development minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has approved the construction of around 5,000 new houses under PMAY-G for the rehabilitation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) due to ethnic violence in Manipur

Union agriculture and rural development minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has approved the construction of around 5,000 new houses under PMAY-G for the rehabilitation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) due to ethnic violence in Manipur.

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan approved the construction of five thousand new houses for the rehabilitation of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Manipur under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY–G). (Handout)

The development followed a meeting with chief minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh at his residence in New Delhi on Monday, where the state’s two deputy CMs, Nemcha Kipgen and Losii Dikho were also present.

At least 260 people have died and over 50,000 were rendered homeless in the ethnic clashes between Meiteis and Kukis-Zo in Manipur which started on May 3, 2023. The two communities are still divided on ethnic grounds and live in separate districts.

The Union rural development ministry also approved a special window of the Awass+ 2024 household survey for capturing the details of the eligible affected households. The state government has also been allowed to continue the registration process for eligible affected beneficiaries under the special project of Pradhan Mantri Awass Yojna – Gramin (PMAY–G). The Centre further allowed the state government to sanction houses for eligible beneficiaries under the special project whose assistance (one or more instalments) was released earlier under the PMAY-G, but whose houses were destroyed during the ethnic violence.

Earlier this month, the Manipur government submitted a proposal for the construction of 5,000 houses for IDPs.

The state government had in January said it aims to resettle 10,000 internally displaced families by March 31.

Till date, 16,500 IDPs have been resettled in the state, it had said.

Earlier in the day CM Yumnam met Union DoNER minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia in the national capital, for the first time after assuming office on February 4.

During the meeting, Scindia informed the CM that the DoNER ministry is planning to fund a project on Polo in Manipur, from where the game originated.